OpenAir is an online radio station housed by the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London . Run by volunteer students, alumni and staff at the School -including volunteers from like-minded communities- OpenAir is dedicated to varied and original programming on music and culture from London and from around the world.
The station builds on the rich and varied expertise of SOAS, providing programmes with a strong focus on the regions of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, as well as their Diasporas. We produce regular programmes in Japanese, Mandarin, Hindi, and many other languages represented at SOAS.
In December 2005 OpenAir was granted its first three-week "Restricted Service Licence" (under terms set out by the UK's broadcasting regulator, OfCom) permitting live FM broadcast in Central London. These broadcasting dates were used to trial programme ideas as well as to expose volunteers to presenting, production and studio management skills.
From 2006, the station became a fully functional online radio station, producing shows and providing coverage of a wide range of events, including:
- Student Rise Festival and Student's GO GREEN week in 2007 and 2008, in association with the Mayor of London office.
- Refugee Radio as part of Refugee Week in association with the Refugee Council UK
- 2007 and 2008 editions of Celebrating Sanctuary, a live music event held every summer in the banks of the Thames River in Central London.
- Endangered Languages Week in association with the Endangered Languages Program at SOAS
- London African Film Festival in association with the Royal African Society
Since 2007, OpenAir studios have hosted the course "Presenting World Music on Radio" by Dr Lucy Duran, lecturer at SOAS and host of the programme World Routes on BBC Radio 3.
OpenAir is an independent organisation supported by SOAS.
